Week of earnings, data mean ‘wholesale reshuffling’ for stocks

Investors should brace for a “wholesale reshuffling of the stock guard” in the next two weeks, CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Friday, with a spate of critical earnings and economic data ahead.

Investors should be primed for market-moving earnings releases from the likes of Coca-Cola, industrial concern 3M, consumer favorite McDonald’s, General Electric, General Motors and far more. Those major names mean investors who want to play their cards right need to “do their homework” ahead of earnings calls, review analyst notes, and, of course, read each respective earnings release, Cramer said.

First Republic, which reports on Monday, will be a key name to watch as it’s “widely considered the most endangered regional bank out there,” he said.

General Electric and Raytheon report earnings Tuesday, followed by Boeing on Wednesday.

In terms of economic data, investors should be primed for the Personal Consumption Deflator number, which is the Federal Reserve’s “best way to measure inflation,” Cramer said. That is slated for next week on Friday, alongside earnings from consumer firm Colgate.

Both Exxon Mobil and Chevron report next Friday as well. “My money’s on Exxon, again,” Cramer said.

With a slew of high-powered names set to report over the coming days, Cramer thinks investors should keep one thing in mind at all times.

“Never ever fly blind into earnings season,” he said.